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74 Conspiracy Theories and Incredible Tales

Conspiracy Theories and

Incredible Tales

Becoming Fantastic: Why Some
People Embellish Their Already

Accomplished Lives with
Incredible Tales

Eric Wojciechowski
Skeptical Inquirer

“There is no shortage of stories from impressive
people attesting to the reality of UFO
technology or extraterrestrial bodies held in college prior to being drafted in 1942.) One lectures and interviews that, thankfully for us
secret at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, or
would expect Trudeau, or one of his researchers, have been uploaded to YouTube.
near Area 51 or elsewhere” (Dolan 2014, 152).
predecessors, to have thought of turning the The preservation of this material is invaluable.
It started with a simple question: Why
Roswell debris over to some of the many very Over the years, we can see how Dean expands
would otherwise successful, professional people
competent scientists with Top Secret clearances his story and adds extraordinary pieces. And of
with long, prosperous careers tell wild tales?
then employed in Army research and course, all claims come with no way to verify
Why would someone of good reputation,
development laboratories. (Klass 1998) them.
education, and a gainful career embellish their
Is Corso a guy who sought secret In one interview, he claimed he now has
record with incredible adventures? Why would,
clearances, secret projects, and late-night phone personal contact with extraterrestrials, to have
say, a retired lieutenant colonel with numerous calls like Neo received from Morpheus in the been “taken off world” where they gave him
high-level accomplishments in his career,
movie The Matrix, only to have never received “encouragement” and showed him the future.
awarded numerous medals and praises from
them? Did he put in his time only to come to (Project Camelot 2016). In a 2010 lecture, he
superior officers, why would he upon
believe he was never quite rewarded as he felt reported he was now remote viewing
retirement, start telling people he was part of a
justified? In other words, did he embellish his (Vimanaboy 2016). In another interview, he
team that analyzed the wreckage of a crashed
career wildly years after retirement to claimed a Navy Seal team was dispatched to the
UFO? And why go through the elaboration with
compensate for twenty-one-years of “normal” “Ararat Anomaly,” which was a large boat, and
painted-in details, citing documents and naming
service? Are there some people that regardless after several days of exploration, the team was
others who were involved? Why would he do
of their accomplishments never seem to see extracted via helicopter with several “anomalous
this if it were not true? themselves as accomplished unless it’s truly artifacts that have never been described or
It seems to me that as someone gains
fantastic? named” (Project Camelot 2008). All of these
credibility, status, and a reputation, he or she
Robert O. Dean is another person with a incredible claims are provided without a shred
would become less inclined to puff themselves
quality resume. He had a career in the United of evidence.
up with fantastic tales. Why risk losing it all by
States Army, starting in 1950 and retiring How about a nonmilitary person with
going off the reservation and telling incredible
in1976. He was in the wars of Korea and impressive accomplishments? What of Dr.
narratives? Why would someone do that?
Vietnam and highly decorated for his service. Steven M. Greer? He earned a medical license in
Philip J. Corso, in my opinion, is
He was at NATO headquarters from 1963 to 1989, had a career as an emergency room doctor,
someone who had an impressive resume.
1976 with a rank of master sergeant (Klass and held the position of chairman of the
According to his DA Form 66, he was a U.S. 1997). department of emergency medicine at Caldwell
Army battalion commander for a time and Chief
Watching Robert Dean “evolve” over the Memorial Hospital in Lenoir, North Carolina.
of the Foreign Technology Division. He was
decades has been quite an adventure in itself. He gave it all up in 1998 to pursue his UFO
granted numerous awards and decorations and
During his first appearances, he claimed that Disclosure Project (Greer 2010), headquartered
served in World War II and Korea. He then
while at NATO he was an intelligence analyst in Crozet, Virginia.
retired March 1, 1963 (“Phillip J. Corso” 2016).
and that one evening when he was tired and Telling his origin story in 2006, Greer
But in 1997, he published The Day After
could not stay awake, a senior officer tossed him says that in October 1973, he was at the top of
Roswell where he claimed that when he worked
a thick manual and said this would keep him Rich Mountain, 5,000 feet above the town of
with the Foreign Technology Division, not only
awake. Said manual supposedly documented a Boone, North Carolina. Before he meditated, he
did he divvy up Russian and German tech to three-year study by NATO on UFOs and witnessed an extraterrestrial’s vehicle that was
private companies for back engineering, but he
extraterrestrials. He said it was called “an like one he saw at the age of nine. He then
also sent out parts of the UFO Roswell crash as
assessment,” which concluded that there were meditated so hard he entered into a state of
well.
several races of extraterrestrials flying around consciousness similar to a near-death experience
Why would a man of his prestige say
and landing and making face-to-face contact he had years earlier. When he started to walk
such a thing if it were not true?
with people. The aliens were, however, not a down the mountain, he was greeted by an
Philip J. Klass has already taken Corso
threat (Nintzel and Acuna 1995). extraterrestrial. He and the ET went aboard a
to task on the book, noting several glaring errors
Of course, Dean never produced this craft that was out in space and translucent,
such as Corso’s claim that the U2 flights over
report for inspection. Philip Klass found no such allowing him to see space all around him. Greer
Russia were, in part, to see if they could fire on
study had ever been undertaken by NATO and claimed the extraterrestrials wanted to
us by provoking them and to see if Russia had
that Dean’s record showed nothing of communicate with someone who could meditate
obtained UFO technology. But most important,
intelligence training, but that he was a Chief like he does, and they were concerned for a
he challenged Corso on his claim that the
Clerk in the Language Service Branch (Klass peaceful human race and were looking for
Roswell wreckage sat unattended for fourteen
1997). Again, as in the case of Corso, it is ambassadors, which Greer agreed to become
years until he was allegedly put in charge by
doubtful a person with Dean’s actual rank and (Greer 2006, 23–24). He was then returned to
General Trudeau. Klass notes:
status would be so casually tossed the most Earth and descended the mountain at steps of
(Choosing) Corso for this task is
important “Cosmic Top Secret” (which he called “leaps of 20 to 30 feet at once” and his physical
surprising because Corso did not have even a
it) report just to keep him awake when a cup of body actually was light! (Greer 2006, 26).
bachelor’s degree in science or engineering. (He
coffee would do.
had majored in Industrial Arts at a teachers
Over the years, Dean has given several (Continued on Page 75)